The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-01-14
THE PRESS.
FRIDAY MORNING. JANUARY IA.
ROMANCE OF a FIR Pill
LOW.
Harper's Bazaar.


talks together, this young Jack Turner and
myself. when we happened to meet in the
parlor or out ON the piaZzas.
The special craze among our young lady
boarders jus. then was the making of all
sorts of pretty pillows, which they filled
with pine needles or buds of the fragrant
balsam fir, and embroidered with various ap-
propriate notices, such as dream of the
woods, 'The pines shall whisper peace.
"Give me of your balm, o Fir-tree," etc.,
etc. And as the picking of these pine need
les and pitchy fir-tips was disagreeable work
for dainty white fingers, it was quite the
fashion for all the chivalric young men in
the house to volunteer their services in this
initiatory part of the work. Moreover,
there was not little rivalry among them as
to who should find the most fragrant trees, a
species Of the balsam fir denominated
strawberry" being the rarest and most in
demand.
l was therefore not at all surprised when
this new acquaintance of mine, having found
out my botanic proclivities, came to me one
bright morning with an immense tow bag
slung across his shoulders, and announced
his intention of picking fir in some remote
woods ON the other side of the mountain.
Would go with him and show him the right
kind of a tree? He had brought back a
whole bagful of worthless stuff the day be-
fore, and all because he couldn't tell spruce
tree from fir.
How could resist such pathetic appeal
especially when he could show me in this
particular piece of woods a rare and beauti-
full species of orchid that / had long been
trying to find?
No! couldn't refuse. So Jack with his
bag and with my basket started off in high
spirits that glorious summer morning 1t
was one Of those rare days in early July
when a cool breath from the mountains
tempered the midsummer heat and gave me
an exhilarating sense of what Longfellow
calls
the electric thrill, the touch
life that seems almost too much.
The three miles walk around the noun
tain seemed as nothing, and we soon reached
our destination, the broad, dark belt OF
woodland that enclosed, like velvet girdle,
the picturesque little lake at the foot of the
highest peak Jack had proved himself a
most entertaining companion all the way.
He reminded me of dear young nephew l
had lost and. although a week before we
had been total strangers / was glad to no.
tice that he seemed to regard me already as
an old and tried friend. Upon one subject
however, he was very reticent When had
found for him clump of the genuine
strawberry trees, and jolxingly asked him
for which of our pretty young ladies he was
going to pick the fir. he looked up quickly,
and then, with confused look on his frank
countenance, said:
sob, it is for no one here; it is for some
one miles and miles away. And do you
think" he added, with an distracted air
quite foreign to his usual manner, shat it
is really a cure for consumption?"
Hardly a cure" / answered, although
I've known it to give relief in many cases of
confirmed lung trouble"
The young man sighed heavily. "Well,"
he replied, after a long silence, 81 am deter
mined to try everything for her.
OF course, my sympathies were Immediate
ly aroused. | began at once TO picture to
myself the pale young girl in her far-off
home, fading away day by day, like some
frail, sweet flower.
"Has she been ill long time % / ventured
at last to inquire.
"Formore than a year" he answered brief
ly, and then quickly turned the converse
ton upon some other subject Still, l could
not help noticing that heavy burden evil
IDENTIFY lay upon his mind, that, try as hard as
he might he could not entirely shake off.
Now, do not think 1 am over sympathet-
ic, or have more than the ordinary amount
of curiosity usually attributed to woman
kind, but all the way home | kept thinking
of Jacks little sweetheart so many miles
away" and wished he would tell me some
thing more about her.
1t was the evening of that same day, / re-
member that he came to me in the parlor,
and drawing me into quiet corner, said he
wanted to ask my advice upon a very i'm
portant subject.
Did think it would be possible for him to
make up the fir pillow all himself? He used
to hem the sails of his toy boats when a little
shaver, and served a good apprenticeship IN
sewing on buttons when college boy, and
thought he could still manage needle pref
ty well, if / would only have the patience to
show him.
OF course with woman's inconsequence,
Immediately offered to do the whole thing
for him. But no! he thanked me just the
same, he said, but would really prefer to do
it himself.
Now, in spite Of my mature years, | still
have stored away in my nature deal of ro-
nance, and this fancy of the young man
touched sympathetic chord. OF course It
would give an added value to the pretty gift
ii it was all his own work, and who could
tell what psychological power, what wonder
full mind cure" might not be effected when
the little invalid pressed to her lips the mag
lie pillow her lovers hands had made?
As to the material and color, | really
wished that L knew the young girls prefer
ences, and when Jack suggested plain gray
serge, as ''sure to wear WE'LL" Wondered
not little that a young man with so much
delicacy of feeling should, at the same time
be so intensely practical. ] had already de
cided in my own mind that the pillow should
be of some delicate shade of blue pongee
decorated in one corner with alsatian bows
of pale pink satin. However. yielded the
point with as good grace as | could, mildly
suggesting that border of yak lace of the
same color as the serge would give pretty
finish
''But wouldn't it tear easily?" asked Jack
''Oh, yes, if it were handled roughly"
replied; "but on pillow like this it would
wear for years"
''On the whole. l think I'd like it better
without any such filigree work-simplt
things are the best" returned my somewhat
discouraged pupil as for the fifth time he
picked out some unrnly stitches that plain
ly told him would spoil the looks Of the
whole pillow.
Well, in due course of time it was finished
that is, the plain serge cover was firmly
stitched together, and then how L longed tC
enibroder upon it some lovely sentimen'
about the murmuring pines and the balmy
fir trees But of course that was out of the
question Jack had evidently no idea of do
ing anything further himself in the way OF
needle work, yet was as anxious as ever to
have the whole pillow made by his own
hands. On the whole, he was very patient
and persevering pupil for an active. young
fellow devoted to tennis and base ball. and
used to wonder what tender loving thoughts
he was working into those great clumsy
seams when / saw that peculiar far-om looh
come into his beautiful brown eyes.
There was only one thing that troubled me
In spite Of the persistency with which yacl
had worked day after day upon the pillow
and in spite of the numerous letters that
came to him addressed in delicate feminine
hand, couldn't help noticing, as did all the
other bOarders in our little hotel, that the
young man was paying marked attentions to
apretty young girl who had joined our party
She had fascinated us ALL this winsome Mu
riel Fales, with her sweet face and hel
charming manners. and | couldn't wonder
that Jack had not been able to resist the
SPELL: bnt then, did | not know his secret
and were not all my sympathies with the
frail little creature for whom the fir pillow
was designed? How could a young man bs
so tickle? Was the old proverb, "Out Of
efrh4 o,t Of mind m t,-ova frup AGAIN In